Overview

• On June 20, 2025, Ukraine and Russia conducted a prisoner swap pursuant to agreements reached in Istanbul earlier this month
• Both sides released young or wounded combatants and returned the remains of fighters killed in action
• President Volodymyr Zelensky hailed the homecoming of soldiers held in Russian custody for more than two years
• Neither Kyiv nor Moscow disclosed the number of personnel exchanged during this cycle, following the pattern of recent swaps
• Peace talks have resumed under Turkish mediation but remain stalled as Russia rejects Ukraine’s demand for a 30-day ceasefire